Agriculture: Pesticides

The Countess of Mar: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the progress of the study being conducted by the Health and Safety Laboratory on mortality and cancer incidence in a large cohort of pesticide sprayers recruited from those qualifying through the scheme operated by the National Proficiency Test Council; and how many participants have been lost from the cohort since its inception.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) established the Pesticide Users Study in 1996 to provide information on cancer and causes of death in professional users of agricultural pesticides and other plant protection products, and to provide a database of individuals who could help with other research into the safety of pesticides.
	The study aims to recruit as many volunteers as possible from those obtaining a certificate of proficiency in England and Wales in the professional use of these pesticides. Their details are submitted to the National Health Service Central Register (NHSCR), which notifies the Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL) about those who develop cancer or die. The type of cancer and cause of death are notified too. Forty-three per cent (66,000) of those awarded a certificate have volunteered to take part and 80 per cent. of them have been identified successfully by the NHSCR. Of these, 1,725 have developed a cancer and 1,542 have died of cancer or some other cause.
	The current focus of the study is on collecting information from participants about their past use of different pesticides, rather than on analysing the cancer incidence and cause of death data. In 2004 a rolling programme of surveys of their use of pesticides and of measures to mitigate exposure commenced. The Health and Safety Laboratory expects to complete this task by November 2007.

Agrochemicals

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What action they are taking to prevent the importation of illegal or counterfeit agrochemicals.

Lord Bach: Neither the UK nor EU pesticides legislation deals with the importation of pesticides per se. But under Article 3 of Directive 91/414/EEC and Regulation 6 of the Control of Pesticides (Amendment) Regulations 1997, for a pesticide to be stored, supplied, used, etc. in the UK, it must hold an approval here for those purposes. This requirement applies irrespective of whether the product concerned is manufactured in the UK or is imported there.
	The pesticide controls are enforced in the UK by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on farms and by the HSE and the appropriate local authority at the distributor and retailer level. All cases of alleged infringement of the regulations are followed up by the Pesticides Safety Directorate as the principal UK regulatory authority. With this in mind the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs currently has in hand two important cases concerning the illegal importation of pesticides, which will shortly be heard in the courts.
	In addition, the Pesticides Safety Directorate is consulting the European Commission, and through it other member states, about improving and clarifying the guidelines on the import of pesticides.

Airports: Public Transport

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What proportion of air travellers access airports in the United Kingdom by public transport, broken down by individual airport.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The table below shows the proportion of air travellers accessing airports in the United Kingdom by public transport, broken down by individual airport.
	
		
			 Airport Bus/Coach % Rail/Tube % Taxi/Minicab % Total Public Transport % 
			 Aberdeen 6 0 37 43 
			 Belfast City 3 0 21 24 
			 BelfastInternational 7 0 7 14 
			 Birmingham 22 1 22 44 
			 Bristol 8 0 13 21 
			 Cardiff 9 0 12 21 
			 DurhamTees Valley 2 1 23 26 
			 EastMidlands 4 0 20 24 
			 Edinburgh 19 0 25 45 
			 Exeter 3 0 12 15 
			 Gatwick 7 25 14 46 
			 Glasgow 11 0 27 37 
			 Heathrow 14 23 26 63 
			 Inverness 5 0 14 19 
			 LeedsBradford 5 0 25 31 
			 Liverpool 10 0 21 31 
			 London City 31 0 45 76 
			 Luton 28 0 13 41 
			 Manchester 2 7 29 39 
			 Newcastle 1 0 28 29 
			 Prestwick 3 21 6 29 
			 Stansted 14 26 9 49

Animal Health Act 2002

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which provisions of the Animal Health Act 2002 have still to be brought into force.

Lord Bach: None.

Architecture and the Built Environment

Lord Rana: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they will publish the new policy for architecture and the built environment in Northern Ireland.

Lord Rooker: The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) is finalising the policy and making arrangements for its publication, which is currently planned for the end of May 2006.

Autism: Children

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 18 January (WA 114), whether they have been advised about the effect of failing to achieve early assessment for children suspected of being on the autistic spectrum; and that three years of age is the critical age for such an assessment.

Lord Rooker: Pursuant to the Answer given on 18 January, I confirm that the Government recognise that the diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and the associated support processes should commence as early as possible in a child's life, to maximise his or her developmental potential. Developmental screening contributes little to the detection of autism, and children suffering from ASD are routinely detected by family and health professionals. In addition, not all children with autism present before the age of three.

Autism: Children

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 18 January (WA 114), whether they have been advised that a 35-month delay in assessment for children suspected of being on the autistic spectrum can delay the child's development, beyond recovery, during the first two years in formal education.

Lord Rooker: Pursuant to the Answer given on 18 January, I confirm that the Government recognise that early diagnosis and early intervention play an important role in the treatment and educational development of children with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). As developmental screening contributes little to the detection of autism, children suffering from ASD are routinely detected by family and health professionals. Greater awareness of autism and better detection methods also mean that children are presenting for assessment at an older age.

Autism: Children

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 18 January (WA 114), whether they will immediately establish an early assessment panel for children suspected of being on the autistic spectrum so as to enable better choices to be made in relation to formal education of children with autistic spectrum disorder.

Lord Rooker: Pursuant to the Answer given on 18 January, I confirm that children suspected of being on the autistic spectrum are referred for assessment to the multi-disciplinary early intervention teams, which have been established within each health and social services board area. Following diagnosis, these teams provide advice and information on the range of services and support available through the statutory and voluntary sectors. The outcome of the review of mental health and learning disability will inform future provision for children with autism.

Autism: Children

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 18 January (WA 114), for how long there has been a formal assessment programme in Northern Ireland for children suspected of being on the autistic spectrum; and, given that 686 children were awaiting assessment, what proportion of those who had been assessed this represents.

Lord Rooker: Pursuant to the Answer given on 18 January, I confirm that a formal assessment programme has been in place in the Eastern Health and Social Services (HSS) Board for at least 10 years, within the Northern HSS Board since 2000, the Southern HSS Board since 2001, and the Western HSS Board since 2000. The question about the number of children awaiting assessment at 31 December against the proportion of those who had been assessed cannot be answered because the information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Autism: Children

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 18 January (WA 114), how many children suspected of being on the autistic spectrum have been assessed in each Northern Ireland health board area for each of the past four years; and how many children in each board area are currently awaiting assessment.

Lord Rooker: The number of children suspected of being on the autistic spectrum that have been assessed in each Northern Ireland health board area for each of the past four years is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	At 31 December 2005, the most recent data available, the number of children, in each Northern Ireland health board area, suspected of having autism spectrum disorder and who were awaiting initial assessment is detailed in the table below.
	
		
			 Health Board Area Number of children suspected of having autism spectrum disorder and awaiting initial assessment 
			 Eastern 253 
			 Northern 117 
			 Southern 128 
			 Western 188 
			 Total 686

Aviation: Northern Ireland

Lord Rana: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will provide further funding for Air Route Development (Northern Ireland) Limited in order to promote new air services that could provide additional tourism and business benefits for Northern Ireland.

Lord Rooker: The Air Route Development Fund, established by the Government to encourage the development of more air routes to Northern Ireland, is fully committed. No additional money was specifically allocated to the fund in the priorities and budget 2006–08, and the department is now considering its options in regard to the continuance of the fund.
	In the mean time, ARD Ltd, the company with responsibility for the administration of the fund, is maintaining close contact with the airport authorities and the airlines to ensure that we keep abreast of their plans.

BBC: Licence Fee

Lord Barnett: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they accept the decision of the Office for National Statistics that the BBC licence fee should be reclassified as taxation.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The treatment of receipts from the BBC licence fee in the national accounts is a matter not for government but for the Office for National Statistics, in its role as an independent statistical agency that compiles the national accounts, free from political interference, to internationally agreed standards.

BBC: Licence Fee

Lord Barnett: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Following the decision of the Office for National Statistics that the BBC licence fee should be reclassified as taxation, whether all BBC expenditure will be treated as public expenditure and subject to normal parliamentary procedure.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The decision has no impact on the overall fiscal position but means that, for the purposes of national accounts and Treasury spending presentations, the current spending of the BBC is added to measures of public spending as annually managed expenditure. BBC capital expenditure has, in any case, historically been included in measures of public expenditure.
	The relationship between Parliament and the BBC is unaltered, however. The ONS decision is solely in respect of the treatment in the national accounts; it does not change the relationship between government, or any part of the public sector, and the BBC.

BBC: Licence Fee

Lord Barnett: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the decision of the Office for National Statistics on the BBC licence fee makes any significant difference to how the BBC receives its money or to the practice that the money will not be treated as public expenditure.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The process by which the BBC licence fee is raised and the proceeds passed on to the BBC is unaffected by the ONS decision. The decision does mean that, for the purposes of national accounts and Treasury spending presentations, the current expenditure of the BBC is added to measures of public spending as part of annually managed expenditure. BBC capital expenditure has, in any case, historically been included in measures of public expenditure.

BBC: Licence Fee

Lord Barnett: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the decision of the Office for National Statistics to reclassify the BBC licence fee as a tax represents a change for the purpose of public accounting and will not mean that the licensing fee is treated as taxation.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The ONS decision is solely in respect of the treatment in the national accounts. It does not change the relationship between government, or any part of the public sector, and the BBC.

Benefits

Lord Smith of Leigh: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the time taken to pay benefits to first-time claimants has improved under the new arrangements.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The "actual average clearance times"—the Jobcentre Plus measurement of the time taken to process a claim for benefit—for income support, jobseeker's allowance and incapacity benefit each year since 2002 are shown in the table.
	Data relating to claim clearance times are measured against "acceptable standards of delivery" that are set at the beginning of each year. The acceptable standards of delivery are: income support—12 days, jobseeker's allowance—12 days, incapacity benefit—19 days.
	
		Actual Average Clearance Times
		
			 Year Incapacity Benefit (19 days acceptable standard) Income Support (12 days acceptable standard) Jobseeker's Allowance (12 days acceptable standard) 
			 2002 16.5 10.2 10.2 
			 2003 16.0 10.3 10.8 
			 2004 17.0 10.9 12.0 
			 2005 15.4 11.0 14.1 
		
	
	Jobcentre Plus is modernising and transforming the service it provides and can now help clients by telephone, through the internet and through the personal service offered in Jobcentre Plus offices. With change on this scale there can be short-term difficulties as systems and new processes bed in.
	On 30 January 2006 the Jobcentre Plus chief operating officer launched a national action plan designed to improve performance. The plan focuses on providing DWP staff with specific tools and best practice guidance to enable them to improve their performance. Implementation of the plans is mandatory and requires that:
	all DWP delivery units work through a health check and address the areas where they are underperforming;
	senior managers regularly review and address poor performance; and
	those delivery units performing below the required performance level develop a recovery plan that must be implemented.
	We are already seeing improvements following the introduction of these measures. The chief operating officer will monitor performance using a "league table" approach and will require formal assurance from senior managers that all elements of the plan are being complied with.

Carers: Northern Ireland

Lord Rana: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they intend to extend the proposed "Carers' Champion" scheme in the United Kingdom to assist carers in Northern Ireland.

Lord Rooker: The Northern Ireland carers' strategy, published in January 2006, recommended that health and social services trusts should identify two directors to champion the rights of carers at a strategic level within the trust, and a senior officer in each programme of care to represent the interests of carers within the programme.

Defra: Permanent Under-Secretary

Lord Marlesford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will set out in the Official Report the terms and conditions of employment of the Permanent Under-Secretary of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, including her normal days and hours of work.

Lord Bach: The Permanent Under-Secretary's contract requires her to work four and a half days a week. Her pay is proportionately reduced. Like all senior civil servants, however, her contract provides that she will work whatever hours are necessary to properly carry out her role. The Government welcome the proposal to work part-time. It bears out our belief in the value of flexible working and demonstrates commitment to provide opportunities for all employees to achieve a better work-life balance.

Disability: Employment Advisers

Baroness Wilkins: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many disability employment advisers are employed by Jobcentre Plus (a) throughout the United Kingdom, and (b) in each region of the United Kingdom.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Jobcentre Plus has around 700 full-time equivalent disability employment advisers. There are many more individuals but many work part-time and their contribution is calculated into the full-time equivalent figure. No precise regional breakdown is available.
	Jobcentre Plus has around 10,200 full-time equivalent advisers. This figure includes specialist incapacity benefit advisers (SIBA), who support customers with a health condition or disability seeking to move into work. While specialist incapacity benefit advisers support those closest to the labour market, disability employment advisers support those whose health condition or disability represents a major barrier to work. Disability employment advisers also support disabled people in retaining work.

Economic Co-operation: Northern Ireland

Lord Rana: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What discussions they have had with the Republic of Ireland on the proposed joint audit of opportunities for further economic co-operation between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Lord Rooker: Officials from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI) and the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL) have met their colleagues in the Republic's Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE) and InterTradeIreland to plan and agree the approach to further developing economic co-operation that would be of mutual benefit to both jurisdictions. Bilaterals between the lead departments and agencies north and south are under way. The work will be overseen by a steering group comprising senior officials and business representatives. There is, of course, already good north-south co-operation in a number of areas, including energy, tourism, telecommunications and trade.

Economic Co-operation: Northern Ireland

Lord Rana: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will consider a joint audit of opportunities for increased economic co-operation between Northern Ireland and other parts of the United Kingdom.

Lord Rooker: There are no plans to undertake a formal joint audit of opportunities for increased economic co-operation between Northern Ireland and other parts of the United Kingdom. There are already strong links and regular contacts between DETI and other departments and their agencies and GB counterparts in many aspects of economic development, including energy, business regulation, trade, innovation, tourism and skills. Great Britain remains the most important single destination for sales from Northern Ireland manufacturing businesses, accounting for just over two-fifths (43.5 per cent) of all sales. Further opportunities for co-operation are continually under review.

Education and Library Boards: Northern Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What matters remain to be implemented from the recommendations in table 8.1 of the Helm Corporation Review of Education and Library Boards Resource Budgeting, Accounting and Financial Control, Monitoring and Reporting Arrangements, commissioned by the Department of Education in Northern Ireland and published in April 2005.

Lord Rooker: Several of the recommendations from this report are capable of being implemented immediately, and the education and library boards have already made good progress, including in improving the nature of financial information presented to their board members and in finalising outstanding accounts for certification. Other recommendations are being reviewed in the context of decisions on the new single education authority with the intention of ensuring that they are taken into account in designing the new financial control and accountability arrangements that will apply to that body.

Education and Library Boards: Northern Ireland

Lord Rana: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they intend to establish the new education authority in Northern Ireland to replace the five existing education and library boards; and what its functions and membership will be.

Lord Rooker: We intend the Education and Skills Authority to be in place by April 2008.
	The new authority will focus on the operational delivery of educational services and will be involved in the strategic planning of the schools' estate and ensuring delivery of the 14-to-19 curriculum.
	At this stage, the functions and membership of the new education authority are still to be decided. However, it will be governed by a board, in accordance with the principles set out by the office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

EU: Education

Viscount Falkland: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Adonis on 6 March (WA 113), whether an educational module for secondary school students, teaching basic European Union values, origins and history, is already contained in the national curriculum.

Lord Adonis: The secondary school curriculum sets out that schools must teach about the European Union in both citizenship and history. At key stage 3 (11–14 year-olds), the citizenship curriculum provides that pupils are taught about the world as a global community, and the political, economic, environmental and social implications of this, and the role of the European Union, the Commonwealth and the United Nations. In history, pupils of this age are taught to identify trends both within and across different periods and links between local, British, European and world history, and about the history of Britain in its European and wider world context. At key stage 4, (14–16 year olds) the citizenship curriculum provides that pupils are taught about the United Kingdom's relations in Europe, including the European Union, and relations with the Commonwealth and the United Nations. The national curriculum is not made up of modules but programmes of study, which set out the legal requirements on what schools must cover at each key stage.

EU: Stock Exchanges

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they support the current attempts by the European Commission to open up national European stock exchanges to cross-border competition with a view to lowering the costs for (a) the investing public, and (b) practitioner members.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: Competition between venues for the execution of orders for financial instruments can foster innovation and lead to reductions in the cost of transactions and, ultimately, the cost of capital for issuers of financial instruments. The Government therefore welcome the provisions in the markets in financial instruments directive (Directive 2004/39/EC) which seek to facilitate competition between venues for the execution of orders for financial instruments, including national stock exchanges.
	The facilitation of competition between execution venues also requires the removal of obstacles to efficient cross-border clearing and settlement in the EU. The Government welcome the focus that the European Commission has put on this issue, the co-operation between the Commission's internal market and competition directorates on the work, and the way in which the Commission has actively involved market participants in its deliberations.

Floods

Lord Marlesford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether a European Union directive on flood control is needed; and whether they have considered non-legislative co-operation as an alternative.

Lord Bach: For our own purposes, the UK would have preferred to continue and strengthen existing non-legislative co-operation on flood management, and has argued the case for this over some years. However, a significant number of other member states view Community legislative underpinning as very helpful to their circumstances, particularly in relation to river basins that cross national boundaries, and all other member states can accept legislation. The European Commission published a draft directive on 20 January 2006 which is now under negotiation. We will seek to limit its scope to trans-boundary waters, which is where the particular problem requiring Community action has been identified, and to ensure that in any case its provisions are targeted, flexible, proportionate and workable.

Food

Lord Rea: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How the proposed European Commission regulation on health and nutrition claims will enable consumers to make a more informed choice about the value of a health claim, if such claims do not have to be independently verified for accuracy and evidence before products go on sale.

Lord Warner: The proposed European Commission regulation on nutrition and health claims made on food, currently under negotiation, provides for lists of authorised health claims to be established. Authorisation would be contingent on all health claims being substantiated by generally accepted scientific data and on the views of the European Food Safety Authority.

Foot and Mouth Disease

The Countess of Mar: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether any of the submissions that were sent to the foot and mouth disease "Lessons Learned" inquiry were not included in the final report; and, if so, which they were; and what were the reasons for their omission.

Lord Bach: The inquiry received 576 written submissions; the vast majority of these were published along with the inquiry. Exceptions were made when members of the public wrote only on condition that their statement was not published. Therefore, it would not be appropriate to list the omitted statements.

Fuel Laundering

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In each of the past five years, how many sites the Environment and Heritage Service for Northern Ireland has cleaned due to residue from fuel laundering activity; and at what cost.

Lord Rooker: The Environment and Heritage Service has not been involved in the clean-up of such sites. The responsibility for their clean-up lies with district councils. They have already been asked for this information and I will write to the noble Lord when the information is available. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.

Government Computer Systems: Defra

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bach on 16 February (WA 195), whether the security of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs's computer systems has been compromised to a greater extent over the past two years than those of other departments; if so, why; and what has been done to prevent a recurrence.

Lord Bach: Defra does not hold details of computer security incidents for other departments as a matter of routine. However, looking at the responses given in the previous Parliamentary Questions tabled by Lord Harris of Haringey on 9 February 2006, there is no indication that the department's systems have been compromised to any greater extent than those of other departments over the past two years.
	The department and its IT service provider deploy computer security policies and measures that comply with central government guidelines. These are kept under constant review. In the event of an incident, lessons are identified and security controls and procedures strengthened accordingly.

Housing: Multiple Occupation

Baroness Scott of Needham Market: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the procedure for local authorities to passport existing houses in multiple occupation (HMO) registration schemes into the new HMO licensing scheme.

Baroness Andrews: The provisions in the Housing Act 1985 for houses in multiple occupation (HMO) registration schemes will be repealed when the HMO licensing provisions in the Housing Act 2004 come into force in April 2006. The Government will, however, make provisions under the transitional arrangements for registered HMOs that meet the requirements of the new licensing arrangements to be passported into the licensing scheme for the remaining term of their existing registration.

Housing: Multiple Occupation

Baroness Scott of Needham Market: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What guidance they have issued to help local authorities undertake consultation with landlord and tenants' groups about the extension of houses in multiple occupation licensing to smaller properties.

Baroness Andrews: Section 56 of the Housing Act provides for local authorities to make designations for additional licensing schemes to extend houses in multiple occupation (HMO) licensing beyond the scope of mandatory licensing to smaller properties in their area. However, before making such designations, authorities are required to consult those likely to be affected by the designation and take account of any representations received.
	The Government have no statutory powers to issue guidance to local authorities about undertaking consultations for additional licensing schemes under the licensing provisions in the Housing Act 2004. However, a number of statutory instruments have recently been laid before Parliament and published, and these will help define the framework within which additional licensing schemes will operate.
	The Government also provided funding for the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA), to help with the delivery of training programmes for local authorities. These programmes have encouraged local authorities to create good working relationships with landlords. The IDeA also facilitated some regional joint events for local authority staff and landlords, which attracted more than 600 delegates and involved input from a range of private landlord organisations. The events also provided an opportunity for the two groups to talk constructively about approaches to licensing, including the consultation process for additional licensing.
	A dedicated website has also been set up at www.propertylicence.gov.uk to provide advice to local authorities, landlords and tenants on licensing issues.

Housing: Private Rented Sector

Baroness Scott of Needham Market: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What estimate they have made of the number of privately rented homes that are (a) unfit for human habitation, and (b) below the decent homes standard; and what proportion of the private rented sector this represents in each case.

Baroness Andrews: The 2003 English House Condition Survey estimated that 1 million privately rented homes fell below the decent homes standard—47 per cent of all privately rented homes, compared to 31 per cent of all homes. The 2003 survey also estimated that 226,000 privately rented homes were unfit for human habitation—10 per cent of all privately rented homes compared to 5 per cent of all homes. This shows substantial improvement from 1996, when 1.25 million privately rented homes (62 per cent) were non-decent and 337,000 homes (17 per cent) were unfit. As part of the drive to improve standards, the implementation of the Housing Act 2004 will, from 6 April, make new provisions for the health and safety of all residential accommodation and for the licensing of larger houses in multiple occupation.

Housing: Private Rented Sector

Baroness Scott of Needham Market: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans they have further to improve the quality of management of the wider private rented sector for housing.

Baroness Andrews: The Housing Act 2004 will, from 6 April this year, provide for the health and safety of residential accommodation, the licensing of larger, higher-risk HMOs and new minimum management standards for all HMOs. These measures are expected to make a significant impact on the physical and management standards that apply to those properties in the sector where the worst conditions are found. University-owned and controlled student accommodation will also be subject to government-approved codes of management practice.
	From October 2006, the Act will also provide for the safeguarding of tenants' deposits. This will address a key problem area in landlord-tenant relations.
	Voluntary measures that will encourage improved management standards—such as membership of trade and professional bodies, landlord training and development, and local and regional accreditation of privately rented properties and landlords—are also to be developed.
	These measures form a key part of our wider strategy to encourage a vibrant private rented sector that meets the housing needs of households of different size and income and operates to high standards.

Housing: Selective Licensing Scheme

Baroness Scott of Needham Market: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What representations they have received from local authorities looking to introduce a selective licensing scheme for the private rented sector under Section 80 of the Housing Act 2004.

Baroness Andrews: The Government have not yet received any formal representations from local authorities looking to introduce a selective licensing scheme as provided by Section 80 of the Housing Act 2004. These powers are expected to come into force in April 2006.
	However, in December 2003, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister carried out an information-gathering exercise aimed at providing further understanding of the impact of the selective licensing proposals in the Housing Act on local authorities. As part of the exercise, local authorities were asked to provide information about their intention to apply selective licensing in their areas.
	The following 17 authorities indicated their intention to make use of the selective licensing powers in their areas:
	London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
	Manchester City Council
	Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council
	Hull City Council
	Hynburn Borough Council
	Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
	Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
	Portsmouth City Council
	Birmingham City Council
	Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council
	Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council
	Stoke-on-Trent City Council
	Tameside Borough Council
	Sunderland City Council
	Newcastle Under Lyme Borough Council
	Sedgefield Borough Council
	Blackpool Borough Council
	In addition, the following local authorities indicated that they might consider applying selective licensing in their areas in the future:
	Southampton City Council
	South Bedfordshire District Council
	Shepway District Council
	Tewkesbury Borough Council
	Worcester City Council
	London Borough of Hackney
	London Borough of Haringey
	Wolverhampton Borough Council
	Medway Council
	Dover District Council
	Chorley Borough Council
	Blyth Valley Borough Council
	The Government are aware that the IDeA, the government offices and the Anti Social Behaviour Unit of the Home Office recently wrote to all local authorities to find out their intentions regarding the introduction of selective licensing in their areas. They are now awaiting responses to this letter.

Hunting: Northern Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans they have to ban fox hunting with hounds in Northern Ireland.

Lord Rooker: There are no plans to ban fox hunting with hounds in Northern Ireland.

Immunisation: Human Papillomavirus

Baroness Gould of Potternewton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What implementation plans they have devised for an immunisation programme for the human papillomavirus vaccine.

Lord Warner: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has had only preliminary consideration of the human papillomavirus vaccine. However, this vaccine is not yet licensed for use in the United Kingdom.

Investment: Northern Ireland

Lord Rana: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps they have taken, or plan to take, to develop a joint strategy with the Republic of Ireland on the attraction of inward investment to Northern Ireland.

Lord Rooker: The prospect of greater engagement North and South on attracting foreign direct investment is one of the issues identified for consideration in the audit review of North-South economic co-operation agreed by Ministers.
	Of course, Invest NI already works closely with the Industrial Development Authority (IDA) and Enterprise Ireland on matters of mutual interest. In January, the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, led a joint trade mission to India comprising companies from Northern Ireland and the Republic, and next month the Secretary of State will lead a follow-up trade mission to India, which will include companies from both jurisdictions.

Investment: Northern Ireland

Lord Rana: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans they have to support efforts by Invest Northern Ireland to attract inward investment from and trade with India.

Lord Rooker: Invest NI has identified the Indian market as a new primary target in its ongoing marketing activities to attract foreign direct investment (FDI). Information and communications technology (ICT) and business process outsourcing (BPO) are the key target sectors.
	In recent years Invest NI has organised a number of trade missions to India and in 2004 launched its "Opportunity India" campaign to highlight the opportunities that exist for investment, trade and business co-operation.
	Ministers have strongly supported this work. In October 2004, the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the honourable Member for Brent North, led an Invest NI trade mission to India, and my right honourable friend the Secretary of State plans to lead a further mission there during the Easter Recess.

Northern Ireland: Festivals

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What provision was made by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland in 2004 and 2005 for grants to Féile an Phobail; and what specific grants were made.

Lord Rooker: The Arts Council of Northern Ireland does not specifically make provision for festivals. Organisations apply for funding under the various arts council programmes and are assessed under the criteria relevant to the programme.
	Awards made to Féile an Phobail by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland in 2004 and 2005 are as follows:
	
		2004–05
		
			 ASOP* Lottery 
			 £85,000 £23,304: Oscailt—disability access 
			  £9,450: New Work production award 
			  £39,463: Online Integrated Ticketing System 
			  £5,100: Equipment award 
		
	
	
		2005–06
		
			 ASOP* Lottery 
			 £90,000 £25,000: Oscailt—disability access 
		
	
	*ASOP: Annual Support for Organisations Programme

Northern Ireland: Prisoners' Groups

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What European funding North Belfast Loyalist Prisoners Association has received in each of the past four years; for what purpose; and whether related documents will be placed in the Library of the House.

Lord Rooker: There is no record of any applications for European funding being made by the North Belfast Loyalist Prisoners Association.

Olympic Games 2012

Lord Jopling: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much will be provided in the 2012 London Olympic Games budget for aerial cover by Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft comparable to that provided by NATO for the Athens Olympic Games between 2 August and 30 September 2004.

Lord Davies of Oldham: KPMG has been commissioned to provide advice on the costs of the 2012 games, including security costs. This work, which is ongoing, will inform our strategy for managing and controlling the costs of the Olympic project, including security aspects. Detailed security plans are being developed by the Home Secretary, who, on advice from the police, the security services and the Ministry of Defence, will ensure that the games are safe and secure.

Parliamentary Ombudsman

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When and in what circumstances they have refused to give effect to recommendations by the Parliamentary Ombudsman by reference to each year since the office was established in 1967.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Planning: Craigavon

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the Craigavon Planning Division of the Northern Ireland Department of the Environment received any representations from Sinn Fein councillors from Newry and Mourne District Council concerning industry or business-related planning issues; and, if so, how many representations were received in each of the past five years.

Lord Rooker: It is not possible to provide the information requested. Although the Planning Service keeps a record of representations made on applications, it is not recorded in a format that can easily identify party associations. Although it would be possible to extract the information, it would be at a disproportionate cost as it would involve the manual examination of approximately 14,000 files.

Police: Holyhead

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much funding was paid to police in the port of Holyhead in (a) 1985; (b) 1990; and (c) each year since 2000; and what was the value of this funding in present-day terms; and
	What funding will be available to police in the port of Holyhead this financial year.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The local allocation of resources and budget management are matters for the chief constable and police authority, who will make decisions according to local plans and operational priorities. It is the Government's role to allocate funding to police force areas as a whole.
	North Wales Police Authority is receiving its fair share of available funding next year. It will receive £73.7 million in general grants, an increase of 3.1 per cent (£2.2 million) over the comparable figure for 2005–06. This is in line with the broadly flat-rate increase of 3.1 per cent for all forces in England and Wales. North Wales benefits from this decision. If the funding formula had been strictly applied it would have received £7.2 million less. The bulk (£5.6 million) of the extra £7.2 million needed to bring it up to the funding floor has been provided by Home Office resources outside the general grant settlement. On top of general grant, North Wales will receive £3.1 million in special formula grant, a consolidation of four specific grants that will enable the authority to operate more flexibly, and an estimated £12.8 million in specific grants and capital provision.
	Following consultation and widespread support we have introduced for 2006–07 a single specific grant covering all counter-terrorism (CT) policing. This includes dedicated security post (DSP) funding that has been removed from the general grant. North Wales will receive £3.7 million in DSP funding next year and will be able to bid for further CT funding from a £64 million pot allocated to ACPO. The single CT specific grant has been taken forward with agreement from the chair of ACPO's Terrorism and Allied Matters.

Police: Northern Ireland

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they consulted any of the Northern Ireland political parties before changing the composition of the Northern Ireland Policing Board; and, if so, how such consultation was carried out.

Lord Rooker: Although there is no legal requirement for the Secretary of State to consult the Northern Ireland political parties on the composition of the membership of the Northern Ireland Policing Board, he wrote to the party leaders at key milestones in the reconstitution process.

Police: Northern Ireland

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the Northern Ireland Policing Board has become a quango as a result of the change to its composition; whether they have plans to set up further quangos in Northern Ireland; and whether this is in accord with the Belfast agreement.

Lord Rooker: During suspension of devolved government and in accordance with the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000, the Secretary of State's only obligation is to ensure that the board is representative of the community in Northern Ireland. He achieved an acceptable community balance by making independent appointments.
	In the event of restoration of the Assembly, the board will be reconstituted and by law will have a majority of political members.

Radiography

Baroness Tonge: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What directions on patient safety have been issued to radiology departments following the introduction of digital radiography; and
	What assessment has been made of the effects of the increased dose of radiation necessary for digital radiography.

Lord Warner: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) recognised that guidance was required when the new digital technology first appeared and placed appropriate guidance and advice on its website about regular radiation dose constancy checks.
	This guidance is regularly updated, and MHRA and the Department of Health work closely with the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine, which has produced recent, more detailed work regarding anatomical differences. This guidance is cross-referenced in a number of official documents to ensure healthcare staff are informed.
	The radiation dose required to produce a digital radiographic image is approximately the same as the film-based radiation dose. Digital radiography has an added advantage where, if the operator should misjudge slightly the size of the patient, the detector unit compensates for this and ultimately can save a repeat procedure, which means no extra radiation dose.
	All new direct digital radiography units are fitted with a device that directly measures the radiation dose per image; this can help to indicate any drift in radiation values.
	It is down to individual purchasers at each hospital rather than the Government to make their own inquiries about the dose implications of their radiological purchases.
	The local radiation protection adviser and medical physics expert will be involved in the commissioning process to ensure that image quality is optimised with the lowest possible radiation dose. Comprehensive advice is available from professional organisations such as the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine and the multi-disciplinary body the British Institute of Radiology.

Railways: Channel Tunnel

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the recent emergency evacuation trial in the Channel Tunnel was considered by the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority to have been satisfactory; how long it took from the start of the emergency to evacuate the last person; and what lessons were learnt.

Lord Bach: The exercise conducted in the Channel Tunnel in the early morning of January 15 was one of a series of such exercises, normally conducted about annually, to test the response of railway staff and the emergency services in Britain and France to major incidents in the tunnel resulting from accidents or terrorist acts. They are useful in ensuring that emergency procedures are regularly practised and identifying areas where those procedures could be refined.
	All volunteer participants had reached the surface within four and a half hours of the emergency being declared. The evacuation on this occasion took longer than might have been expected because the chosen scenario introduced a variety of new emergency procedures that needed to be thoroughly tested. The exercises also assumed that the triage of "casualties" takes place in the service tunnel, and all casualties are assessed and receive initial first aid in situ before being moved out, in an orderly fashion, to hospital. The service tunnel provides a safe refuge where passengers can congregate and be looked after until it is possible to remove them to the surface. The speed of the evacuation to the surface is therefore not necessarily an important parameter.
	Evaluation of the exercise by Eurotunnel, the emergency services and the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority is still under way.

Rural Enterprise Scheme

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bach on 16 February (WA 206), how they define "an area of land made irrigable".

Lord Bach: This refers to the area of land which benefits from irrigation activities funded under the Rural Enterprise Scheme's "agricultural water resources management" measure.
	Under this measure Defra aims to support the sustainable use of water for agricultural purposes, primarily through the provision of winter storage reservoirs. Projects funded are expected to achieve both economic and environmental benefits by utilising new reservoir storage for irrigation, thus allowing sustainable production of higher value crops, while at the same time helping to protect the amount of water available to rivers and aquifers during summer periods of low volume.

Rural Payments Agency

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Rural Affairs, Landscape and Biodiversity, Mr Jim Knight, on 11 January (Official Report, House of Commons, 626W), how many of the 865 staff employed to date by the Rural Payments Agency will be retained; and whether there will be any need to employ new staff in the next six months.

Lord Bach: Further to the Answer referred to in this Question there are currently 110 people employed by the Rural Payments Agency on the Rural Land Register. It is envisaged that this number will be reduced to 84. There will be no need to employ new staff in the next six months unless for reasons of staff turnover.

Schools: Academic Selection

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they are aware of the percentage of respondents to the Belfast Telegraph poll on academic selection who voted to retain academic selection; and whether that response is in agreement with the Government's draft Education (Northern Ireland) Order proposals.

Lord Rooker: Ending academic selection is only one part of a whole package of reforms of post-primary education designed to provide real choice and flexibility for all pupils and raise standards by building on current performance. The issue is therefore more complex than the yes/no answer required in the recent Belfast Telegraph telephone poll.
	Public consultation on a proposal for a draft Education (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 ended on 7 March 2006. The order will give effect to a number of reforms, including the revised curriculum, providing access to a wider range of academic and vocational courses for all pupils from age 14 as well as introducing new admissions arrangements and prohibiting academic selection.
	My honourable friend the Minister with responsibility for the Department of Education in Northern Ireland (Angela Smith) will carefully consider the responses to the consultation and decide whether any changes should be made to the draft order before it is laid before Parliament in the spring.

Scrapie

The Countess of Mar: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which strains of scrapie were found in goats in the United Kingdom in the past three years.

Lord Bach: In the past three years, six cases of classical scrapie have been detected in goats in the UK.
	Strain typing of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) involves mouse bioassay, a costly process which can take up to four years and is therefore not routinely applied to all samples.
	However, all sheep and goat TSE positive cases are tested by molecular methods that are capable of differentiating between classical scrapie, atypical scrapie and experimental BSE. Cases where the presence of BSE is ruled out and which are confirmed as classical or atypical scrapie are not routinely subjected to mouse bioassay. If the presence of BSE cannot be excluded, the sample is subjected to mouse bioassay.
	In each of the six cases of TSE detected in goats in the past three years, both BSE and atypical scrapie have been ruled out; they have all been confirmed as classical scrapie.

Shipping: Irish Lights

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Statement by the Minister of State for the Department for Transport, Dr Stephen Ladyman, on 10 March (Official Report, House of Commons, 85WS), what is their forecast change in the net contribution they made to Irish Lights in respect of ships calling at ports in the Republic of Ireland.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The contribution from the General Lighthouse Fund (GLF) to the provision of navigational aids in the Republic of Ireland should not change as a consequence of the 10 per cent cut in the level of UK light dues announced on 10 March. The contribution, estimated at £7.4 million for 2005–06, is, however, expected to rise to around £8 million in 2006–07. This increase reflects the construction costs of the combined head office and depot facility in Dun Laoghaire for the Commissioners of Irish Lights, after allowing for the estimated proceeds from the sale of the existing building in Dublin, expected to be returned to the GLF during 2006–07. The Irish Government will contribute 35 per cent towards the cost of the project. The resultant net cost to the GLF is expected to be £4.7 million, generating estimated running cost savings of £1.4 million per annum.

Smoking

Lord Acton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the National Health Service's Stop Smoking Services include a service designed and targeted specifically to help children under 18 to give up smoking.

Lord Warner: The National Health Service (NHS) Stop Smoking Services are available free to all smokers, of whatever age, who wish to stop. NHS Stop Smoking Services decide locally how best to promote and deliver services to their specific populations, including children and young people.
	Many NHS Stop Smoking Services include a service designed and targeted specifically to help children and young people under 18 years; for example, they train school nurses to be smoking cessation advisers, run groups at schools, and train youth and community nurses to hold "stop smoking" groups. Since December 2005 licensing arrangements for the use of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) have been changed to widen access. NRT can now be used by smokers aged 12 to 17 years.
	The Department of Health also promotes awareness and use of the NHS Stop Smoking Services. We have been running a new national advertising campaign since 13 February 2006 using two young people who explain how they gave up with the NHS Stop Smoking Service. One of the young people featured was 15 when she attended the services.
	The latest available data on the number of people who set a quit date through the NHS Stop Smoking Services and, of those, how many had successfully quit (based on self report) in England from April to September 2005 show that 6,321 people setting a quit date were under 18 years. Of those, 2,436 had successfully quit at the four-week stage.
	Current data and information on NHS Stop Smoking Services are available in the Library and at www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/ICpubfolder–view.
	Historic data and information on NHS Stop Smoking Services can be found at
	www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Statistics/StatisticalWorkAreas/StatisticaiPublicHealth/StatisticalPublicHealthArticle/fs/en?CONTENT–ID=4032542&chk=GhPZ%2By.

Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee

The Countess of Mar: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What has been the membership of the sheep sub-committee of the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee since its inception; and
	What is the criterion of expertise for the selection of the scientific members of the sheep sub-committee of the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee.

Lord Bach: The membership of the sheep sub-group of the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC) is designed to be flexible in order to capture relevant expertise and balanced views.
	The composition of the sub-group depends on the emerging science and the issue in question, and comprises a core of SEAC members and co-opted experts. The SEAC secretariat consults widely with research institutes and government departments, and reviews published scientific literature to locate the required expertise for the subgroup. Experts co-opted on to the sheep sub-group have proven expertise on the issues in question, demonstrated by peer-reviewed publications. They represent a variety of fields in order to provide balanced views. Subgroup members are required to declare any conflict of interest should it arise for any particular item under discussion.
	When the sheep sub-group of the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC) first met in September 1998, the membership was as follows:
	Professor Jeffrey Almond (Chair)
	Professor Adriano Aguzzi
	Professor Roy Anderson, FRS
	Dr Chris Bostock
	Dr Moira Bruce
	Mr Michael Dawson
	Dr L. Detwiler
	Dr Christl Donnelly
	Dr Linda Hoinville
	Dr Nora Hunter
	Dr Richard Kimberlin, OBE
	Dr Angela McLean
	Dr David Pepper
	Mr John Wilesmith
	Professor Mark Woolhouse
	When the sheep sub-group of SEAC met on 28 March 2000 and 14 July 2000, the membership was as follows:
	Professor Peter Smith (Chair)
	Professor Chris Bostock
	Dr Simon Cousens
	Dr Angela McLean
	Professor John Wilesmith
	Dr Linda Hoinville
	When the sheep sub-group of SEAC met on 8 December 2000, the membership was as follows:
	Professor Peter Smith (Chair)
	Professor Adriano Aguzzi
	Professor Ian McConnell
	Professor Chris Bostock
	Mr Peter Jinman
	When the sheep sub-group of SEAC (strain typing group) met on 17 July 2001, the membership was as follows:
	Professor Peter Smith (Chair)
	Professor Chris Bostock
	Sir Aaron Klug
	Professor Sir Brian Heap
	Professor Sir David Cox
	Professor Manfred Eigen
	Dr Simon Cousens
	When the sheep sub-group of SEAC met on 4 March 2002, the membership was as follows:
	Professor Peter Smith (Chair)
	Professor Roy Anderson
	Professor Chris Bostock
	Mr Ray Bradley
	Professor Robin Carrell
	Mr Peter Jinman
	Professor Ian McConnell
	When the sheep sub-group of SEAC met on 11 December 2002, the membership was as follows:
	SEAC members:
	Professor Peter Smith (Chair)
	Professor Chris Bostock
	Professor Adriano Aguzzi
	Professor Robin Carrell
	Mr Peter Jinman
	Professor Ian McConnell
	Co-opted members:
	Dr Anne Buschmann
	Dr Frederic Lantier
	Dr Alex Bossers
	Dr Steve Ryder
	Dr Fiona Houston
	Dr Wilfred Goldmann
	When the sheep sub-group of SEAC met on 26 July 2004, the membership was as follows:
	SEAC members:
	Professor Peter Smith (Chair)
	Professor Chris Bostock
	Professor Robin Carrell
	Mr Peter Jinman
	Professor Ian McConnell
	Co-opted members:
	Professor Neil Ferguson
	Dr Wilfred Goldmann
	Dr Nora Hunter
	When the sheep sub-group of SEAC met on 24 January 2006, the membership was as follows:
	SEAC members:
	Professor Chris Higgins (Chair)
	Mr Peter Jinman
	Professor Jean Manson
	Co-opted members:
	Dr Thierry Baron
	Professor Chris Bostock
	Dr Anne Buschmann
	Dr Wilfred Goldmann
	Professor Will Haresign
	Dr Nora Hunter
	Dr Rowland Kao
	Dr Hubert Laude
	Professor Martha Ulvund

Sport: Albert Foundry Bowling Club

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Since 2000, how much the Belfast Regeneration Office has given in grant-in-aid to the Albert Foundry Bowling Club; whether any claims are outstanding; and, if so, when the outstanding claims will be paid.

Lord Rooker: Belfast Regeneration Office has never provided any grant-in-aid to the Albert Foundry Bowling Club.

Taxation

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord McKenzie of Luton on 9 February (WA 123), what information they hold on the financial contribution to the United Kingdom economy of those individuals who for tax purposes are resident but non-domiciled in the United Kingdom.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: Individuals claiming that they were resident but not domiciled in the United Kingdom declared approximately £8.9 billion in taxable income on their self-assessment tax returns in 2003–04.

Tobacco

Lord Monson: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much tobacco duty revenue would have been lost in the most recent years for which statistics are available if sales of tobacco and tobacco-related products had been reduced by 1.7 per cent.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The details of tobacco duty revenue figures in recent years are published by HM Revenue and Customs in the Tobacco Bulletin, found on its website at www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=statbulltwo. Tobacco duties raised £8.1 billion in 2004–05. If sales by volume of tobacco products fell by 1.7 per cent, duty revenues would fall by about £140 million.

Transport: Belfast Bus Lanes

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What proposals they have to increase the provision of bus lanes in Belfast.

Lord Rooker: The chief executive of Roads Service (Dr Malcolm McKibbin) has been asked to write to the noble Lord in response to this Question.
	Letter from Dr Malcolm McKibbin to Lord Laird, dated 16 March 2006.
	You recently asked Her Majesty's Government a Parliamentary Question about what proposals they have to increase the provision of bus lanes in Belfast.
	I have been asked to reply as the issue falls within my responsibility as chief executive of Roads Service.
	As you will be aware, the provision of quality bus corridors (QBCs) on all the main radial roads in Belfast is one of a number of initiatives identified in the Regional Transportation Strategy (RTS). These proposals, which include the provision of bus priority measures to improve bus journey times and reliability, improvements to the quality and frequency of bus services and the provision of high-quality shelters and passenger information, are intended to make travel by bus an attractive alternative to the private car.
	The Belfast Metropolitan Transport Plan, launched on 30 November 2004, is a "daughter" document to the RTS. It sets out the detailed transportation proposals for the greater Belfast area up to 2015 and expands the detail of the proposed RTS initiatives, including the introduction of QBCs on 14 of Belfast's arterial routes and on two orbital routes.
	We are working with Translink to deliver an agreed QBC programme that will be implemented, in stages, over the next five years. While it is not possible to quantify exactly the number or extent of further bus priority measures until the necessary traffic modelling, costing and appraisal work has been completed, you may be aware that Roads Service has already provided 65 separate bus lanes (totalling approximately 29 kilometres in length) in Belfast. During 2006–07, we propose to introduce a further six kilometres of bus lanes on the motorway hard shoulders and on the Shankill Road.
	I hope this information is helpful.

Vehicles: Headlights

Lord Monson: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, they will resist proposals by the European Commission to compel motorists in the European Union to drive with their headlights on during daylight hours.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The Commission has not yet made a proposal to mandate the use of headlamps during daylight hours. The Government oppose such compulsory use except where required by poor visibility. While improved vehicle conspicuity is desirable, compulsory daytime headlamps might adversely affect the relative daytime visibility of pedestrians and cyclists. In addition, motorcyclists currently enhance their daytime conspicuity, on a voluntary basis, by using dipped-beam headlamps. If all vehicles were illuminated this advantage might be reduced or disappear. Constant headlamp use by all vehicles would also increase fuel costs and CO2; pollution. Dedicated low-wattage daytime running lights (DRLs) rather than headlamps might meet some of these concerns but we would still oppose compulsory use.

War Memorials: Northern Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether Section 7(1) of the Public Health and Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 1955 on war memorials has been superseded; if so, by what provision; when it was superseded; and with what effect.

Lord Rooker: The powers of district councils in relation to war memorials are contained in Section 7 of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1923 (the 1923 Act). Section 7 of the 1923 Act has been amended by:
	the Public Health and Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1955;
	the Local Government (Modifications and Repeals) Order (Northern Ireland) 1973; and
	the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Northern Ireland) Order 1985.
	Section 7 of the 1923 Act (as amended) provides that:
	(1) A district council
	(a) may incur reasonable expenditure
	(i) in the alteration of any war memorial so as to make it serve as a memorial in connection with any war subsequent to that in connection with which it was erected; and
	(ii) in the correction of any error or omission in the inscription on any such memorial;
	(b) subject to the approval of the Department of the Environment
	[Head (i) repealed by 1985 NI 15]
	(ii) may erect a war memorial either alone or jointly with any other such council or councils.
	(c) may maintain, repair, protect and light any war memorial whether vested in it or not.
	[Subsection (2) repealed by 1985 NI 15]
	(3) The provisions of this section shall not apply to a war memorial provided or maintained by a council in the exercise of any other statutory power.

Waterways Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	On what basis the chief executive of Waterways Ireland was awarded a 35 per cent performance-related salary increase between 2000 and 2004.

Lord Rooker: I have nothing further to add to my Answer of 1 March 2006 (Official Report, col. WA 84).